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Diddley bow makers and prices...

Posted by Snuffy Smith on April 26, 2017 at 5:30pm in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts

I come from a hard rock background and saw this video the other day and was floored at the sound these things make.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-AuJgdZHTY

I have an RC-1 Looper Station...guess all I'd need to really make this thing sing is an octave pedal. Don't know much about octave pedals though, other than they add more tone. I could have a ball on one of these things. I've seen all kinds of unusual builds of these things, so I'm not really sure what I'd want at this point...don't know all my "build" options.

I'd like to see more...any links would be great.

I want to buy one!

Thanks!

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Replies

  • Taffy Evans April 28, 2017 at 5:17pm

    Hi Snuffy, sorry mate when I read you had a looper and wanted a diddly Bow for your dad so you could play together, I thought you already had a guitar. Looks like you'll need two Diddly Bows. I googled Cool Diddly bows and got heaps of info, history to present day builders etc. Good luck.

    Taff

  • Taffy Evans April 28, 2017 at 4:48pm

    Hi, Why not take 5 strings off of a spare  guitar you already have? Everybody has more than one guitar, right?

    Cheers Taff

    • Snuffy Smith > Taffy Evans April 28, 2017 at 4:57pm

      I have zero guitars. I'm just getting started here.

  • Snuffy Smith April 27, 2017 at 8:48pm

    I have a question about looper effects now -

    One of the things I've noticed when watching CBG videos on YouTube, is that alot of folks use loopers. But what I'm wondering is...why is it when some people play the loop back it sounds dull and muted...compared to when they actually played the part originally. Why is that? What are they doing wrong when using this effect?

    • JL > Snuffy Smith April 28, 2017 at 9:23am

      cheap gear, low quality 'capture'

  • darryl kernaghan April 26, 2017 at 9:06pm

    Iknow you don't want to be told to make one Snuffy, but a d/bow is about the simplest diy string instrument of them all

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-GudSX_kMU

  • Snuffy Smith April 26, 2017 at 5:37pm

    * and someone will come in and tell me to build it myself in 1...2...3...*

    I do not want an acoustic CBG version. I really like the thin electric stick look, like the one in this video:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoxxXX4EheY

    I'm thinking of buying one for my 86 year-old Dad, so we can have some fun together...him on diddley bow and me on CBG. I'm sure we'll make horrific noise together, LOL.

    • Jim Morris > Snuffy Smith April 26, 2017 at 6:36pm

      Well Snuffy, the vid you posted is Justin Johnson and he's the undisputed master of this stuff  Lots of folks can make or obtain an instrument like this but not too many can coax the sounds from it that Justin does. If you come to York PA I'm hoping One String Willie will be there showing how to make a diddley bow in 5 min. Anyhoo, I'm planning to be at Black Cat in Berkeley Springs Fri. April 28 pm to play some old time acoustic music. Maybe not your thing but you could sure try out mine and another guy's CBG's and shake hands.

      • Snuffy Smith > Jim Morris April 26, 2017 at 6:54pm

        That's cool. I have the utmost confidence in myself though. I had a friend lend me a 4001 Rickenbacher bass years back, and was surprised how quickly I took to it...then my friend moved to California and took it with him. I'm an ex-drummer, so I have lots of ideas about banging around on a diddley bow...not that they'll be musically palatable at first, but they will be interesting, LOL.

        Don't get me wrong though. My roots are in hard rock as that was the music of my musical formative years, but over the years my tastes have gone all over the place. I can appreciate good music in ANY form...just don't ask me to listen to rap or hip hop...yeah, it's expressive, but I don't find it very musical at all.

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